Review: Queer Cowboys, King’s Head Theatre

Taking to the stage on roller-skates and singing ‘Oh What a Beautiful Morning’, performer Freddie Love then apologises that a performance of “Oklahoma on Wheels” has been cancelled due to the 27 strong cast falling ill. He informs the audience that instead we’ll hear the story of two trans cowboys who lived long ago in America’s fabled wild west.

As much as the idea of Oklahoma on Wheels sung by Love appeals because their vocals are so sublime, what follows is a far more unusual piece of theatre. Ostensibly a jukebox musical, where famous songs are used to illustrate aspects of the lives of individuals who were trans in a time that was even less understanding than our present, it also functions as a semi-autobiographical work. That might seem a lot to carry off in a play which is only just over an hour long, but Love does so seemingly effortlessly, and their charm and playful sense of humour make this a production where you’ll feel like you’re in very safe hands from the beginning.

Accompanied by a three piece band who are at the top of their game, sonically the show is a delight throughout, and for the vast majority of the running time the script and performance sparkled too. The production is divided in to two very clearly separate halves. The first invites the audience to learn about the world of Harry Lee, whose seductive ways caused a certain level of panic in those sadly unenlightened days, to the point that he was not only arrested and jailed but also the subject of scandalous newspaper stories.

The play’s only misjudged moment occurs early on with a slightly too broad impersonation of a pastor which feels pantomime-esque. Otherwise, this gently celebrates both the joys and the sorrows Lee experienced in a mixture of songs which Love performs beautifully. The production then becomes increasingly affecting in the second half when Love examines what little is known of Little Joe Monahan. Even whilst examining the loneliness they endured, it’s still full of comfort, celebrating how one human being managed to avoid bitterness despite having every reason to feel such an emotion. The way Love highlights the common decency of their life is impressive indeed.

I have to confess that I’m often extremely sceptical about jukebox musicals, finding it rare that an altered version of a well-known song is ever an improvement on the original, but pleasingly here they nearly always are. There’s one minor misstep where a fine, but familiar, cover of Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ disappoints a little, but the majority shine in this new context. Hopefully the intention of this play will also enlighten the lives of everyone who is fortunate enough to experience it.

Performer – Freddie Love
Musical Director – Olivia Zacharia
Director – Charles Quittner
Producer – Yasmin Mehboob-Khan

Queer Cowboys was at King’s Head Theatre as part of the Camden Fringe.

You can find out more about Freddie Love here.